Centers for Independent Living Competition - Guam

Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are consumer driven agencies that work with individuals with significant disabilities. CILs provide independent living services focused on enabling an individual to achieve independence in their community. CILs were created under Title VII Part C Section 721 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in 2014) and must adhere to standards set forth in Section 725 of the Rehabilitation Act. Therefore applicants must address the following:How the center will facilitate the development and achievement of independent living goals selected by individuals with significant disabilities who seek such assistance by the center to live independently in their communities.How the center will promote and practice the independent living philosophy of:a) consumer control of the center regarding decision-making; service delivery; management; and establishment of the policy and direction of the center;b) self-help and self-advocacy;c) development of peer relationships and peer role models; andd) equal access for individuals with significant disabilities, within their communities, to all services, programs, activities, resources, and facilities whether public or private and regardless of funding sources.How the center will provide services on a cross-disability basis for individuals with all different types of significant disabilities, including individuals with significant disabilities who are members of populations that are unserved or underserved by Title VII - Independent living Services and Centers for Independent living.How the center will assure eligibility for services at the center for independent living will be determined by the center, and will not be based on the presence of any one or more specific significant disabilities.How the center will work to increase the availability and improve the quality of community options for independent living in order to facilitate the development and achievement of independent living goals by individuals with significant disabilities.How the center will provide independent living core services and, as appropriate, a combination of any other independent living services that must include the following core services:• Information and referral;• Independent Living skills training;• Peer counseling;• Individual and systems advocacy; and• Services that facilitate transition from nursing homes and other institutions to the community, assistance to those at risk of entering institutions, and facilitate the transition of youth to postsecondary life.How the center will conduct activities to increase the capacity of communities within the service area of the center to meet the needs of individuals with significant disabilities.How the center will conduct resource development activities to obtain funding from sources other than Chapter 1 – Individuals with Significant Disabilities.A CIL must also provide satisfactory assurances as may be required in section 725 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Assurances that should be addressed in the application:How the applicant is an eligible agency;How the center will be designed and operated within local communities by individuals with disabilities, including an assurance that the center will have a Board that is the principal governing body of the center and a majority of which shall be composed of individuals with significant disabilities;How the applicant will comply with the standards set forth in section 725 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended;How the applicant will establish clear priorities through annual and three year program and financial planning objectives for the center, including:(A) overall goals or a mission for the center;(B) a work plan for achieving the goals or mission;(C) specific objectives, service priorities, and types of services to be provided; and(D) how the proposed activities of the applicant are consistent with the most recent 3-year State Plan for Independent Living under section 702;How the applicant will use sound organizational and personnel assignment practices, including taking affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with significant disabilities on the same terms and conditions required with respect to the employment of individuals with disabilities under section 503;How the applicant will ensure that the majority of the staff, and individuals in decision making positions, of the applicant will be individuals with disabilities;How the applicant will practice sound fiscal management;How the applicant will conduct annual self-evaluations, prepare an annual report, and maintain records adequate to measure performance with respect to the standards, containing information regarding, at a minimum—(A) the extent to which the center is in compliance with the standards;(B) the number and types of individuals with significant disabilities receiving services through the center;(C) the types of services provided through the center and the number of individuals with significant disabilities receiving each type of service;(D) the sources and amounts of funding for the operation of the center;(E) the number of individuals with significant disabilities who are employed by, and the number who are in management and decision-making positions in the center; and(F) a comparison, when appropriate, of the activities of the center in prior years with the activities of the center in the most recent year.How individuals with significant disabilities who could benefit from receiving services at the center will be notified by the center of the existence of the client assistance program and how to contact the client assistance program should their assistance be required;How aggressive outreach regarding services provided through the center will be conducted in an effort to reach populations of individuals with significant disabilities that are unserved or underserved by programs under this title, especially minority groups and urban and rural populations;How staff at Centers for Independent Living will receive training on how to serve such unserved and underserved populations, including minority groups and urban and rural populations;How the center will submit to the Statewide Independent Living Council a copy of its approved grant application and the annual report required in section 725(c)(8).How the center will prepare and submit a report to the designated State unit or the Administrator, as the case may be, at the end of each fiscal year that contains the information described in section 725(c)(8) and information regarding the extent to which the center is in compliance with the standards set forth in section 725(b); andHow independent living plans described in section 704(e) will be developed and utilized to achieve goals.